STRAP FOR OFF FORE-LEG.
STRAP FOR NEAR FORE-LEG.
By the aid of a powerful dose of physic—administered with extreme difficulty, I confess, by a strong and resolute man—and aided by a few light whiffs of chloroform, we succeeded in getting the horse so sick and stupid that he suffered himself to be handled almost without opposition. In fact, I could go up to his head, and stroke and fondle it as though he had been the quietest animal alive. We then littered a lofty shed with quite a foot deep of dung and straw (tan would, however, have been better for the purpose), and having led him into it we put on him a single-rein bridle, with a wooden gag-bit,—this latter because he presently showed an inclination to bite. We then tied up the reins quite close to the withers, put a breaking surcingle on him, passed a soft strap round the near pastern joint, lifted up the foot as though we were about to shoe him, and passing the strap round over the fore-arm, buckled it firmly, but in such a way as not to hurt the horse. I gentled him, as much as he would allow me, about the head, while my assistant worked, and we then led him about the shed for twenty minutes or more, on three legs, by which time he was tired, but seemingly too dull to be much irritated. The next operation was to place a second strap around the off fore-leg, draw it pretty tight, and pass the long end of it through one of the rings sewn on to the belly part of the surcingle. My helper then put a big strong glove on his right hand, caught a firm hold of the strap, and when the horse lifted his leg in an endeavour to hop, drew it gradually close, and brought him gently upon his knees. Our object was to make him lie down, for I never would countenance—under any pretence, or for any operation—the forcible casting of a horse with which I had anything whatever to do. Finding that he was sullen and would not move, I came to the near side of him, and drew his head gradually towards me by one rein, speaking soothingly to him all the while; I then bade my assistant go to his off side and bear against it, just behind the shoulder, with a steady, even, close pressure—and after about twelve minutes’ patient waiting, I had the joy of seeing him lie quietly down upon the litter. So far my plan of subduing by gentleness had succeeded.
TAMING THE SHREW.
The moment that he was fairly down I made his hind legs quite fast, and then began my plan of taming. I gently stroked every one of his limbs separately, rubbed his trembling head, pulled and fondled his ears, unbuckled the bit for an instant and gave him from my hand sliced carrots, lettuce, and I think an apple or two. He was in a wretched state, poor beast! for want of care and grooming, so I got a nice brush, and went caressingly over every part of his body with it, talking to him as though he had been a frightened child. After an hour or so we took off the straps, drew out his fore-legs, and encouraged him to get up. He seemed very dazed when he did so, but was seemingly quite subdued—and having given him a feed, we left him alone for the night.[*]
The next day we had another and worse scene to go through; the evil spirit was not altogether gone out of the horse, as events very soon showed us. We had to resort to the same strapping-up process, and when he was on his knees he actually fought with us till he turned over; but I encouraged him to get up again (in the same cramped position, of course), and to make a second fight—treating him with steady firmness, and never giving in for a moment, but striving all the time to quiet him and make him lie down. He did so at length—from sheer exhaustion, I believe—for his obstinacy and violence had lasted over an hour, and I and my patience were alike almost worn out. When he was down I scraped the sweat from him with a scraper, gave him water and lettuce, went over every inch of his body with a wisp, and made my assistant pretend to shoe him, by lifting each of his feet and tapping them gently with a hammer. Finally I showed him a saddle and bridle, laid them under his nose, and stroked him with them—and ended by actually putting them on him with scarcely any difficulty at all. Then I shut myself alone with him in the shed, and fed, petted, and talked to him unceasingly for upwards of an hour, until all the untractableness had seemingly gone out of his disposition. His poor wild, bloodshot eyes grew calm and placid, and he actually rubbed his nose at last against my hand. I am certain that I shall be accounted a terrible fool, but I believe I wept for joy—and the best of it all was that I had gained my victory without the horse having any suspicion that he was conquered. If I had thrashed him into subjection—allowing that such a thing were possible—he might have obeyed me for awhile, although hating me—but by dint of never using a particle of harshness, and granting him his own time to make concessions, I am firmly convinced that he considered himself the better animal of the two, and was magnanimous enough to obey me from chivalrous motives, while believing that he need not do so at all.
After that day I had not any trouble with my charge, and in less than a week I was riding him about the place with only an ordinary bridle. He subsequently manifested an extraordinary affection for me, and whether the system that I pursued with regard to his taming was or was not one of which ordinary horse-owners will be found to approve, I can only say that it succeeded to perfection, and that I have seen it tried twice or thrice since, on my recommendation, with excellent results; but I never advise the adoption of it, except in cases such as I have described, where an animal has been rendered vicious by extreme bad treatment, or has inherited a disposition for sullenness and obstinacy which cannot otherwise be brought under control.